Chapter 1

The sound of lips clashing against teeth rang in my ear. The two people at my bedside—my wife, Ivy York, and her suitor, Chester Sullivan—were making out heavily without reservation.

My fingers dug into my palms. I was incredibly afraid of letting slip the fact that I was already awake.

My throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and it felt like it was becoming increasingly hard to breathe. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to push through.

Just as their breathing grew heavier and their hands began to wander restlessly downward, I finally reached my limit.

I coughed violently, feeling like my throat was being ripped apart from the force.

Ivy and Chester were shocked. Ivy hurriedly let go of Chester and rushed to my bedside.

She asked with a hint of guilt in her voice, "Sammy, are you awake?"

Her face was inches away from mine, and I could see that her lips were still glistening wetly. Her collar was askew, and the shirt buttons were undone to reveal a swath of smooth, pale skin.

I had no strength with which to criticize her. Instead, I pointed at the emergency call button with a trembling hand.

After freezing for a split second, she hastily pressed the button and shouted, "Doctor! Come quick!"

Her anxious demeanor seemed to suggest that she still cared about me, but my stomach roiled as I stared at her mussed hair and swollen lips.

Chester stood behind her with his shirt half-buttoned and a smirk on his face.

A doctor rushed in and started fussing over me.

"The patient is experiencing a severe allergic reaction. How is this happening? He was perfectly fine just now."

The doctor frowned and frantically gave me an injection.

He then turned to ask Ivy why she hadn't informed him that I had a history of allergies, but he accidentally knocked over the thermos flask on the bedside table in the process.

Boiling water splashed onto my chest. I couldn't help letting out a quiet groan as the searing pain seemed to spread right down to my bones.

The doctor immediately broke out into an anxious sweat and yelled for a nurse to bring an ice pack.

I was in such pain that my vision was going dark, but I fought through the pain to look up at Ivy.

She looked anxious, but her hand was also toying with Chester's. Even when I was in such agony, she was still in the mood to flirt with him.

Just as a nurse delivered the ice pack, the hospital suddenly shook. The medical instruments rattled, and the hanging lamp swayed precariously.

The doctor shouted, "Oh, God! It's an earthquake!"

The nurse dropped the ice pack in her panic. Everything was in chaos.

Chester grabbed Ivy's hand and exclaimed, "Vivi, I'm so scared!"

Ivy glanced back at me, hesitation flashing through her eyes.

A moment later, she said to me, "Sammy, don't be afraid. It's just a minor earthquake. The building won't collapse. I'm leaving for now, but I'll be back to rescue you soon."